Several New York City Department of Education (DOE) employees allegedly stole city-funded trips meant for homeless students and took their own family members instead. Destinations included Disney World, excursions to Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Boston, Rocking Horse Ranch, Frost Valley YMCA campground, and more. A Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI) report detailed how these employees abused their positions for almost three years and attempted to cover up their crimes when caught.
NYC Department of Education workers caught forging paperwork and stealing trips
According to the SCI report, between 2016 and 2019, Linda Wilson, the Regional Manager of the NYC Department of Education Queens Students in Temporary Housing program, and five of her subordinates took their families on trips meant for homeless students.
The rules for these trips state that DOE family members aren’t allowed on field trips even if the employee pays for it or reimburses the DOE. To obtain the trips for free, the workers would forge permission slips in the names of homeless students. As a result, many slots that would have gone to disadvantaged kids were filled by the sons and daughters of the DOE staff.
The following New York City Department of Education Queens Students in Temporary Housing workers were named in the report:
- Regional Manager Linda Wilson
- Program Manager Shaquieta Boyd
- Family Assistant Joanne Castro
- Family Assistant Mishawn Jack
- Family Assistant Virgen Ramos
- Community Coordinator Maria Sylvester
When she found out a whistleblower informed the DOE of their actions, Wilson allegedly stated, “What happens here stays with us.” She also reportedly encouraged staff to lie and tell investigators they didn’t take their kids on any trips.
While the incidents occurred between 2016 and 2018, the investigation apparently took around four years. The report was released in January 2023, and the Conflict of Interest Board settlements only reached their conclusion this week.
Speaking with the New York Post, spokeswoman Jenna Lyle stated that all staff identified in the report are no longer employed by the NYC DOE. She declined to say whether anyone was disciplined or paid restitution, but none of them were subject to criminal prosecution. The Special Committee of Investigation declined to refer the cases for prosecution due to a “lack of available documentation.”
